With AIPMT on May 1, CET dates to be changed

12/12/2015

BENGALURU: Barely a week after announcing the dates for Common Entrance Test (CET), the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has been forced to reschedule the test. Reason: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is conducting All-India Pre-medical Test (AIPMT) on the same day , May 1. The new CET dates are yet to be finalized.

The test was supposed to be held on May 1, 2 and 3 but Tuesday's announcement by CBSE has made KEA change the dates.Thousands of medical aspirants from Karnataka appear for both CET and AIPMT. CBSE conducts AIPMT to allot medical and dental seats under the All-India Quota (AIQ). Last year, CET dates were pushed due to a nationwide strike. Karnataka has one of the highest number of AIQ seats in the country .

"CBSE officials failed to check the CET schedule before announcing the AIPMT date. It is ridiculous that there is no common platform to prevent students rom being inconvenienced due o such confusion," sources said.

Multiple entrance tests are conducted in May and it's not easy to pick new dates for CET, said a KEA official. But the au hority has no other option. The dates will either be advanced or postponed. SN Gangadharaiah, administrative officer, KEA said: "They will be announced on Thursday or Friday ."